By Chrispin Inambao
WINDHOEK
The Namibian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) has brushed aside legal counsel from its own lawyers who feel it should immediately reinstate its suspended human resources general manager Theo Karipi, because its ‘ill-advised’ charges will not stick.
Apart from the feeling from its lawyers that the NBC stands to be humiliated if Karipi is to challenge his suspension in the District Labour Court, sources indicated the NBC has in the last several months paid N$80 000 in legal and lawyers’ fees, while paying Karipi benefits and a monthly pay of around N$30 000. The costs could also possibly skyrocket.
NBC lawyers Slysken Makando and Elia Shikongo, New Era was reliably informed, independently advised the NBC Board and Vezera Kandetu its Director-General, to abandon the charges against its suspended human resources manager for lack of “cogent” evidence.
In one of the letters received by both the Board and the D.G, the NBC was instructed by one of the lawyers to “favourably” consider reinstating Karipi “before you are taken to court for the indefensible acts,” but this expert advice has largely fallen on deaf ears.
Makando’s correspondence to Kandetu was quoted by reliable sources as having stated that on the main count being used by the NBC to shield Karipi from his job, “the purported resignation was invalid and of no effect,” and that the subject “was indeed interviewed during the restructuring hence the confirmation of his employment with the corporation”.
In March, Kandetu swung the axe, suspending Karipi following allegations related to the manner in which he and others resigned, collected pension money and were re-instated.
But it has since emerged that in 2003 before the ink could even dry on his resignation letter, former NBC Board chair Uazuva Kaumbi begged Karipi to stay as it was felt his skills, particularly in dealing with the unions, were badly needed at the time.
As NBC was engaged in restructuring, its Board at the time was in concert that Karipi’s services should be retained because, according to Kaumbi and his fellow board members, Karipi “exhibited immense knowledge regarding negotiations with union/s and restructuring per se”.
“As a result of the above, we unfortunately have to advise that owing to the lack of cogent evidence to prove the misconduct, that the disciplinary hearing should be abandoned and that Mr Karipi be reinstated,” was one of the advices allegedly ignored by NBC.
His lengthy suspension is deemed “unfair” and “unjustified” by NBC lawyers.
The lawyers only submitted their legal opinion to the corporation after they weighed the merits and the demerits of the case. Reinforcing Karipi’s defence was the fact he had yet to submit mitigating evidence though the NBC had fired all the big guns in its arsenal.
Sources feel the suspended manager is being made “the issue of focus” while other burning issues, such as the multi-million-dollar vehicle lease from the United Africa Group at great expense to the NBC, was seemingly swept under the carpet despite a damning report that implicates Jerry Munyama, the former D.G. now in the employ of the United Africa Group.
The five-year deal involving 27 vehicles will cost N$9 million by December.
There are suspicions the United Africa Group employed Munyama as ‘pay back’ when he was forced to resign after being arrested on allegations of misappropriating over N$346 000.
Efforts by the NBC to recover the money allegedly lost through Munyama have mothballed.
His case is yet to be concluded and he is out on bail.
Other issues of interest raised in the forensic report involve the millions paid to Penduka Enterprises, a company owned by a prominent businessman that collected television licence fees on behalf of the NBC at a commission.
And the other deal is the cancelled N$20 million Rock Enterprises deal in which the NBC had pumped around N$10.5 million at the time of termination.
This like the other deals was sealed during Munyama’s tenure while the tendering process was ignored with impunity.
Those in the know at the broadcaster regard Karipi as a ‘sacrificial lamb’.
“We are awaiting a report from the lawyers and this report has not reached us. It’s only when we have the report that we can know what they recommend,” said Kandetu with regard to the Karipi case. He could also not comment further as the case is still sub-judice.
On efforts by NBC to recover the money allegedly pilfered by its former D.G. he said he could also not comment on the case because it is before court.